👋 Welcome to CiteCount Help

CiteCount automatically detects in-text citations in parentheses and brackets, including:

• APA style: (Author, Year) or (Author, Year, p. 123)
• MLA style: (Author Page) or (Author)
• Harvard style: (Author Year) or (Author et al., Year)
• Chicago style: (Author Year) or (Author Year, 123)
• Custom citations: Any text in parentheses () or brackets []

Citations are highlighted in red by default and excluded from your word count. You can toggle any citation to include or exclude it from the count using the Citations panel.

Learn more about citation management →

CiteCount's word count may differ from other tools because:

1. Citation exclusion: CiteCount excludes in-text citations by default, which Word/Google Docs include.
2. Hyphenated words: Different tools count hyphenated words differently (1 word vs 2 words).
3. Numbers and symbols: CiteCount follows IB standards for counting special characters.
4. Asian languages: CiteCount counts each character as one word for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

For IB coursework: CiteCount follows IB guidelines and provides an accurate "Words without Citations" count that matches IB standards.

There are three ways to import files:

1. Drag & Drop: Drag your .docx or .pdf file directly into the editor
2. Choose File button: Click "Choose File" on the welcome screen
3. File toolbar: Use the file upload icon in the toolbar

Supported formats:

• Microsoft Word: .docx files
• PDF: .pdf files (text will be extracted)

Important notes:

• Images, equations, and formatting are automatically removed
• All processing happens locally in your browser
• Your files never leave your device
• Multiple files can be imported at once

Your data is completely safe and private. Here's how:

• ✅ All processing is local: Everything runs in your browser
• ✅ No server uploads: Your text never leaves your device
• ✅ No cloud storage: Files are stored only on your device
• ✅ No tracking: We don't track your documents or content
• ✅ Open source: Code can be inspected for transparency

Where is data stored?

Your text and projects are saved in your browser's localStorage (on your device only). You can clear this data anytime from Settings → Reset All Settings.

Read our full safety promise →

CiteCount includes a built-in citation generator for APA, MLA, and Harvard styles:

1. Click the "Generate Citation" button in the toolbar
2. Select your citation style (APA, MLA, or Harvard)
3. Choose source type (Book, Journal, Website, or Newspaper)
4. Fill in the required fields (Author, Year, Title, etc.)
5. Click "Generate Citation"
6. Copy the in-text citation or bibliography entry

Features:

• Auto-fetch title from URLs (for websites)
• Citation history - access previously generated citations
• One-click copy to clipboard
• Append citations directly to your document

Learn more about citation generation →

CiteCount includes a file management system (Beta) to organize your work:

Creating projects:

• Click the "+" button in the Documents sidebar
• Give your project a name and choose an emoji icon
• Your project is created and ready to use

Organizing with folders:

• Click "New Folder" to create a folder
• Drag and drop projects into folders
• Organize by subject, assignment type, or any system you prefer

Features:

• Automatic saving with every edit
• Drag and drop reordering
• Multi-select delete (Cmd/Ctrl + Click)
• Project icons and emojis
• Search and filter projects

Note: This is a beta feature. Your projects are saved locally in your browser.

Complete file management guide →

CiteCount uses your browser's localStorage, which has a limit of approximately 4-10 MB depending on your browser.

If you're running low on space:

1. Go to Settings → Manage Storage
2. View storage usage and see which projects use the most space
3. Delete old or unused projects
4. Export important projects to .txt files before deleting

Prevention tips:

• Regularly delete completed projects you no longer need
• Keep only active projects in CiteCount
• Save copies of important work to your computer
• Use CiteCount primarily as a working tool, not long-term storage

Essential shortcuts:

• ⌘ , or Ctrl , - Open Settings
• ⌘ B or Ctrl B - Bold
• ⌘ I or Ctrl I - Italic
• ⌘ U or Ctrl U - Underline
• ⌘ ⇧ X or Ctrl Shift X - Strikethrough
• Esc - Close modals and overlays

View all keyboard shortcuts →